Concerts galore!

This past week was busy but fun. Wednesday night was Adam's choir concert. The high school band and orchestra also played and the finale was the band, orchestra, and choir performing together. They were so good!! Of course I forgot my camera, if you're reading this and you have some pictures from that WFHS concert last week, please email them to me!
Thursday was a home game for Austin's flag football team. On Wednesday Austin had fallen off his skateboard on the way to school. His face and the sidewalk fought and the sidewalk won...his left cheek just below his eye was hit hard and he had a scrape the size of about 3 or 4 quarters laid next to each other. He had a huge, black lip, too. He didn't feel very well for a few days, including Thursday, so he didn't get to play a lot in his football game.

He had to run from the game to his band concert. He plays the baritone. He wore his suit and looked so handsome!
Friday night was the annual Jon Schmidt Christmas concert. If you don't know who he is, you're missing out. You can check him out at www.jonschmidt.com. He's a piano prodigy with a style all his own and his concerts are so much fun.
Sunday evening I got to go to Symphony Hall downtown and see The Nutcracker with my mother-in-law. It was put on by Ballet AZ and the Phoenix Symphony. They all did a great job and it was so much fun! We're going to go back in February to see Sleeping Beauty.
This coming Sunday I have my annual Christmas recital for my piano students and I'm looking forward to that!

All I can say is...euw

So the other week, Ken and I fell asleep on the couch. I woke up around 11 pm and turned off the tv, yawned, stretched, and noticed something crawling on the ceiling above Ken's head!! I woke him up and we got our black light. He got a broom handle and knocked it off the ceiling and this is what the evil thing looks like in black light:



Of course he got the boys involved and they decided to play with it a while before its demise...they like to tickle the evil creature's back, trying to get it to sting itself. Why oh why were these things created???

For this post, I'm grateful for black lights to be able to spot these things before they do any damage. I'm grateful for a husband and sons who will get rid of them when they are spotted. I'm grateful that we've lived in Arizona for 9 years, 7 of those years in this very house, before seeing these horrible, ugly things! And I'd be ever so grateful if I never, ever had one in my house again!

Giving thanks

Well, it's that time of year again, my absolute favorite!! I'm so glad Thanksgiving hasn't been cheapened like Christmas and become so crazy like Halloween. It's still the best holiday because it's always on a Thursday and Ken gets Friday off. Wow, a 4-day weekend, so rare!! And the food is the BEST.

So my posts this month will all include something of gratitude. Today is Veteran's Day so how could I not say something about veterans?? I have no idea what it's like to be in the military, let alone go to war. I don't know what it's like to be out there fighting for our freedom or to be willing to die for what I believe in. There are so many who do know, though. I truly thank them. From those who fought to free us from British rule in the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean "conflict", Vietnam, Desert Storm, and those who serve now and all times in between.

My dad's dad serving in the Army in the early 1930s:


My father was a Korean War vet, although not in Korea; he served on an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean. He was on the USS Coral Sea and the USS Lake Champlain.

Deck inspection, my dad is the starred sailor:


If I had to choose a branch of the military it would be either Air Force or Navy (except I'm scare of the ocean) but I love love love the Navy!!

My father-in-law came to the United States in the mid1950s and served in the National Guard. I wish I had a picture of him in his uniform!

Our long-time family friend, Thom, served in the Navy in the 1970s. He'd come visit in his black casual uniform and my sister Linda and I just thought he was the coolest. Our friends Rob and Christina met while serving in the Army.

My nephew Will, my cousin Kelle and her husband Mel are currently serving. Mel is over in the Middle East and I hope and pray he comes home whole, healthy, and happy as he and Kelle are expecting a baby!!

Thank you so much and God bless America!!